Photographic Memories
by Mihael-Mello-Keehl
Summary: A room full of photos, books full of more photos, and a father missing his children with too much time on his hand. Summary stinks.


Hey guys! ^^ I'm trying something a little new. I hope it works out... This is a one-shot, my specialty. I may write another one-shot separate from this that goes sort of along with this one, I'm not sure yet. Let me know if you like this, guys. Peace!

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Pictures lined the walls and the mantle in the living room of the one story four bedroom house... So many memories had been created, and some had been destroyed. Just thinking about the three children he had watched grow up made him wish they were still kids. Holding his head in his hands, he wept. It was silent, for fear of the love of his life hearing him.

He had saved the three children from horrible childhoods. Memories ran through his mind of his babies. A broody black-haired male, an obnoxious blond male, and the only girl, the boys' pink haired sister. He shook his head as he thought of the lives he saved them from by giving them a home and two loving parents.

He uncovered his face, picking up a pitch black photo album. He opened it to the first page and looked at the picture of a black haired nine year old boy who had just won the big prize at the dunking booth.

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The young man, after a long day's work, was wandering the back roads on the way home. He heard a soft sobbing through the rain that fell around him. He looked toward the single dim light that barely lit the space around it, much less the street. His eyes landed on a shivering figure clinging the light post.

"Are you alright there, kid?" He asked, his voice carrying soothingly through the rain as he stepped toward the little boy, for it indeed was a little boy. The kid flinched as he came closer. "Hey, don't be scared. C'mon, get out of this rain. Come with me, I'm sure there's dinner waiting." He smiled at the child, holding out a kind hand.

The little boy looked up with bloodshot obsidian eyes, identical to the color of the boy's matted hair. He opened his mouth to speak, but in the end just took the man's hand and followed him home.

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"My little Sasuke..." The man mumbled to himself, looking back down at the pile of photo albums through teary eyes. He shook his head as he picked up the next photo album; it was bright eye-burning orange. The man chuckled as he flipped through it, stopping on the little boy's kindergarten graduation. He chuckled at the bubbly boy in the picture.

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The young man was at the carnival with Sasuke, his adopted son. The little boy had just hit the bulls-eye at the dunking booth, with deadly aim, and had won the big prize. It was a giant plush teddy bear and the little boy had smiled so big, it was almost creepy.

It was as the man was looking around, he noticed a little blond boy in raggedy clothing sneaking out from underneath a table with a kabob in his mouth. The little boy was snickering and grinning to himself in triumph, that is, until security personnel grabbed him.

"Listen kid, we don't condone thievery here. So, get lost..."

The man walked up to the security guard. "Excuse his manners, I take full blame for not keeping up with him." He smiled convincingly and took the blond by the ear. "Come now, time to go home, you'll be punished for this, you know that right?" HE 'scolded' the little nine year old blond boy until security was out of sight and earshot. The man knelt down in front of the little boy. "Hey, why were you stealing? Where are your parents?"

The boy's attitude changed and even his breath seemed to fall silent. "My parents are dead." The boy muttered monotonously, looking at the ground with winter blue eyes.

The man looked at his black haired son and smiled slightly as he turned back to the blond boy. "Would you like to join our little family?" He asked. "We have plenty of food, an extra room, and clothes..." He said; it was almost as if he was pleading with the lonely child.

At the mention of family, the little boy's features changed drastically. He was smiling, his eyes were dancing, and he seemed to glow with happiness.

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The aging man chuckled as he recalled the day he found his second son. "Oh, Naruto, you haven't changed since that day..." He smiled to himself, whispering to the pictures in the otherwise empty room. He set the orange photo album on top of the black one and picked up the final one in the pile. "Who could forget you, my only daughter..."

The photo album was pale pink with darker pink flower designs up the spine and across the cover. His little princess had picked it out herself. He flipped open the intricate photo album and smiled at the Halloween picture of the little pink haired girl dressed up as a cat.

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It was a normal summer night, the family was cooking delicious bar-b-que in the back yard. They were laughing and dancing and singing. It was a weekly ritual for them. Suddenly, something not so normal happened, a noise was heard from the front door. It had been opened and then slammed.

The man looked at his sons and the love of his life. "Stay here... I'll be right back..." He said to them before taking off his #1 Dad apron and walking silently into the house from the back door. He heard scampering down the hallway and then a door shut. He tilted his head and walked to the bedroom that had been infiltrated. It was the unused room.

He gingerly opened the door a crack and turned the light on. He opened the door fully and stepped in. There, in a corner of the room, was a huddle pink mass. The figure was shaking and shivering with heavy sobs. The man walked toward her and knelt in front of her, picking her up and holding her close.

The child looked up at the man that had picked her up. One eye was almost swollen shut with terrible allergies, her nose was running, and her bottom lip was bruised. She pressed her tiny body against the man and shuddered.

"Little girl, why are you in here?" The man asked gently. "Isn't your family worried about you?"

The child shook her head, causing shoulder length tendrils of pink to swish. She looked at the man with one fully open aqua eye. "I ran away months ago... They think I'm dead..." She murmured. She looked to be around ten, the same age as the boys.

The man shook his head. "I see then... I'm sure you had your reasons..." He smiled softly and kissed her forehead. "Let's get you cleaned up and get some food in you..."

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He shook his head as he shut the final album. "My little cherry blossom..." He murmured. He looked around at the pictures of the three of them together. Fresh tears brimmed his tired eyes and he couldn't help but hold his head again. His babies had grown up and left him.

Sasuke had left for college to get the languages he needed to become an ambassador and travel everywhere. He had found a shy girl and got engaged with a child on the way.

Naruto had gone to a different college for culinary arts. The boy had always loved food, and that was his passion. He had met a blond at college that was as loud as him and could keep him in line. It was only a matter of time before they, too, were engaged.

Sakura had left to pursue a nursing degree after marrying the red-headed foreign exchange student and having her first child.

"Kakashi, love, it's time to come to bed. You can't dwell on the children all the time. They'll be back for holidays, they promised, remember?" The soothing voice of the man's life long love pulled him peacefully from his memories.

"Right, right. Sorry Iruka, I seemed to have gotten carried away again," Kakashi smiled as he stood, pecking the other man's cheek. "Come, let's to bed." He nodded.

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Well, hopefully it works out... Not too sure about it though. Let me know whatcha think. R&R? Kthxbai.


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